The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIA’S last male Sumatran rhino, Tam, died of blood loss due massive internal bleeding in his abdomen that was caused by kidney failure.

The tentative diagnosis of Tam’s medical condition is chronic kidney disease with pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidney) and renal calculi (kidney stones) accompanied by liver disease, according to the final autopsy report.

Samples of the kidney, spleen, colonic lymph nodes, small intestines, heart and lungs have been sent for bacteriological and histopathological (microscopic) testing at independent laboratories.   

Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew said the immediate cause of death was hypovolemic shock as a result of massive bleeding within the abdomen. 

“This in turn was a result of kidney failure (100% in the right kidney, about 40% in the left kidney) which had many negative implications on the body.  

“In particular, the high amounts of nitrogenous metabolic waste products were not being filtered out, leading to toxaemia (blood poisoning) or azotaemia (a medical condition characterised by abnormally high levels of nitrogen-containing compounds in the blood).

“During this end stage renal disease, severe glomerular and tubular permeability occurred, and uremic toxins built up in the circulating blood. In addition, the defects in the kidney resulted in inadequate secretion of hydrogen ions from the system, causing systemic acidosis (an excessively acid condition of the body fluids or tissues).

“The circulating urea, in particular, disrupted blood platelet function leading to excessive bleeding. The acidosis and impairment of platelets together caused the massive haemorrhage seen in the rhino’s abdomen,” she said in a statement today.

Liew, however, said the origin of the kidney disease could not be determined but was chronic and linked to Tam’s old age.

“In addition, acidosis would have caused muscle degeneration, while the kidney disease would have caused anaemia (deficiency of haemoglobin in the blood) by disrupting the hormone erythropoietin (secreted by the kidney for formation of red blood cells). The liver was jaundiced,” she said.

Based on the report, four lead pellets and some fragments were found in the right thigh and neck, and the lower part of tail had been shot off. 

“These would have dated from long before his capture in 2008 but are unlikely to have contributed significantly to his poor health,” Liew added. 

Meanwhile, the Minister said she will look into the possibility of displaying Tam’s preserved carcass at the Sabah Museum. – May 29, 2019.